OnePlus Pad 5G will have Snapdragon 865 chipset, launch soon
OnePlus will be delving into the tablet market soon according to recent leaks. It is rumored that the company’s first tablet will be called the OnePlus Pad 5G. The tablet is expected to be revealed in the first half of 2022.
While OnePlus has yet to confirm any details about this upcoming tablet, tipster Mukul states that the device is already in mass production. Key specifications and pricing for the Oppo Pad 5G have also surfaced online. These frequent leaks indicate that the OnePlus Pad 5G may not be too far away from launch.
According to the tipster Shadow Leak, the rumored OnePlus Pad 5G may feature a 12.4-inch FHD+OLED display. The refresh rate wasn’t revealed in the shared tweet, but previous leaks suggest that the tablet could get a 120Hz panel. Under the hood, there could be a Snapdragon 865 chipset, which is a few years old, but packs enough power to drive a tablet without any hiccups. OnePlus may have chosen this chipset to keep the pricing of the OnePlus Pad 5G in check.
From Digital Trends
Qualcomm is allegedly announcing the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1+ in May
Ever since the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 chipset was announced, rumors have been flying about a mythical “+” version, which would be made using TSMC’s 4nm node, instead of Samsung’s – and that fueled a lot of speculation about this Snapdragon 8 Gen 1+ being less prone to overheat and throttle its performance than its non-Plus sibling, since TSMC’s 4nm process is widely hailed as being more efficient.
Today a usually reliable source tells us that the new SoC is going to be made official at some point in May. It stands to reason that devices powered by it could then be announced immediately afterwards – so if this pans out, expect the first Snapdragon 8 Gen 1+ phones to be unveiled before the end of May and become available in June. The list of first-phase customers includes Lenovo and Motorola, OnePlus, and Xiaomi.
From Gsmarena
There could be a long wait between the Pixel 6a launch and availability
Leaker and YouTuber Jon Prosser claimed on Twitter that the Pixel 6a will be announced at the Google I/O developer conference which takes place on May 11-12. He adds that Google could also tease the long-rumored Pixel Watch at this event.
Furthermore, Prosser reiterates his previous claim that there will be a long wait between the Pixel 6a reveal and actual availability. More specifically, the leaker says it’s projected to launch in “most markets” on July 28. He previously noted that the delay was due to the global chip shortage.
Prosser has a solid track record of leaks in general, but he’s definitely been wrong before. The YouTuber along with Android Central previously claimed that last year’s Pixel 5a was canceled due to the chip shortage, but the device would actually be released in Japan and the US. So we’d still recommend you take Pixel 6a claims with a healthy helping of salt.
Nevertheless, this wouldn’t be the first time Google launched a mid-range Pixel at its developer conference, as the Pixel 3a series was launched at I/O. However, the Pixel 4a and Pixel 5a both missed the Google event. So we’ll just have to wait for more leaks and official confirmation closer to the time.
From Android Authority
Huawei’s latest nova 9 SE features a high-res 108MP camera and 66W fast charging
Huawei continues to expand its mid-range nova series with the new nova 9 SE tailored for content creators on a budget. The phone has an AI powered quad-camera array on the back, housed in an oval block similar to last year’s nova 9.
The big upgrade here is the 108MP sensor that can shoot high-res images and high-definition video, followed by an 8MP ultra-wide-angle lens, a 2MP Bokeh lens, and a 2MP macro lens. The front also features a 16MP ultra-wide selfie cam.
There are smart video features on board designed to help create and publish videos in a few taps like continuous recording from front and rear cameras in one file and One-Click video creation to put clips together quickly.
The nova 9 SE’s 6.78-in display is larger compared to the nova 9 but it’s an LCD panel that refreshes at 90Hz compared to nova 9’s OLED that supports 120Hz refresh rates. It’s powered by the Snapdragon 680, which means no 5G, and comes with 8GB RAM and modest 128GB built-in storage. You do get 66W fast wired charging that can charge the phone’s 4,000 mAh battery from zero to full in 36 minutes.
Like every Huawei phone, the major caveat here is the lack of Google services, though Huawei has made decent progress with its App Gallery.
From Techradar
Xiaomi 12 Lite appears on Geekbench with Snapdragon 778G, 8GB RAM
Xiaomi launched its flagship 12 series around the world, and while we have an affordable not-really-flagship Xiaomi 12X smartphone in the lineup, the company is also working on a lower-positioned Xiaomi 12 Lite.
The phone with model number 2203129G appeared on Geekbench, revealing a Snapdragon 778G chipset and an 8GB RAM option.
The results of the benchmark are in line with other phones, sporting the same chipset – 778 for a single core and 2,864 for multiple cores. The listing also revealed Android 12 out of the box, which should have MIUI 13 on top.
Last year Xiaomi introduced a Mi 11 Lite in 5G and 4G flavors, but it’s likely that they’ll only do a 5G one this time around.
From Gsmarena
OnePlus 10 Pro reservations go live the US, come with bundled OnePlus Buds Pro
Yesterday OnePlus confirmed the global launch for its OnePlus 10 Pro is taking place on March 31 and now the company has launched reservations for the flagship in the US. Eager stateside users who want to be first in line for the brand new phone can put down a $1 deposit which nets reserves them a OnePlus 10 Pro and also nets OnePlus Buds Pro wireless earphones which come as a free gift. The promo lasts until March 31. Official pricing for the phone is yet to be provided so we’ll have to wait until after the event to know for sure.
In related news OnePlus 10 Pro has gone on pre-order in Nepal with a launch price of NPR 135,000 which equals to $1,106 by today’s conversion rates. Several online platforms in the country have listed the 12/256GB version of the device. As a comparison, OnePlus 10 Pro with 12GB RAM and 256GB storage model launched for the equivalent of $831 in China back in January.
From Gsmarena
Vivo teases its first foldable smartphone as it aims to take on Samsung and OPPO
Vivo has been rumored to be working on its first foldable smartphone for a while. And now we have an implicit confirmation from the company itself. The Chinese company has shared a teaser of what appears to be its upcoming foldable smartphone.
The image shared by Vivo’s Weibo account depicts a smartphone with a foldable form factor. While the image doesn’t reveal many details about the smartphone’s overall design, it appears it can follow a similar design as to the Galaxy Z Fold 3 and OPPO N Find.
At this point, we don’t know much about Vivo’s first folding smartphone. Rumors have it the phone will be called Vivo X Fold and that it will reportedly feature a 6.53-inch cover display and an 8-inch inner display with QHD+ resolution and a 120Hz refresh rate. Under the hood, the phone is said to be powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 Chipset. It will reportedly pack a 4,600mAh battery with 80W fast wired and 50W wireless charging support.
Vivo hasn’t yet revealed an official launch date for the phone. The phone will likely launch first in China — just like the OPPO Find N. Whether an international launch is in the cards remains to be seen. We expect to learn more about Vivo’s first foldable smartphone in the coming day and weeks.
From XDA
OnePlus Watch 2 and OnePlus Band 2 may be official soon
The OnePlus Watch was arguably one of the most disappointing gadget releases of 2021. Now, the company is said to be working on a follow-up called the OnePlus Watch 2. According to Pricebaba, and leaker Mukul Sharma, both the OnePlus Watch 2 and the OnePlus Band 2 have entered the production stage in Europe and Asia. That information suggests the two new wearables are set to be revealed later this year, which may mean we would see an official unveiling in the coming months.
Another recent leak suggested OnePlus is experimenting with a Nord branded smartwatch, but this appears to be a separate device. According to the leaked information, this will be a follow-up to the OnePlus Watch alongside the Band’s sequel. The original OnePlus Band was unveiled in January 2021, and the smartwatch followed it in March of the same year. If the company plans to unveil new iterations every year, we’re overdue an announcement.
From Android Police
Nvidia shows off AI model that turns a few dozen snapshots into a 3D-rendered scene
Nvidia’s latest AI demo is pretty impressive: a tool that quickly turns a “few dozen” 2D snapshots into a 3D-rendered scene. In the video below you can see the method in action, with a model dressed like Andy Warhol holding an old-fashioned Polaroid camera. (Don’t overthink the Warhol connection: it’s just a bit of PR scene dressing.)
The tool is called Instant NeRF, referring to “neural radiance fields” — a technique developed by researchers from UC Berkeley, Google Research, and UC San Diego in 2020. If you want a detailed explainer of neural radiance fields, you can read one here, but in short, the method maps the color and light intensity of different 2D shots, then generates data to connect these images from different vantage points and render a finished 3D scene. In addition to images, the system requires data about the position of the camera.
Researchers have been improving this sort of 2D-to-3D model for a couple of years now, adding more detail to finished renders and increasing rendering speed. Nvidia says its new Instant NeRF model is one of the fastest yet developed and reduces rendering time from a few minutes to a process that is finished “almost instantly.”
From The Verge
New EU law could require iMessage and WhatsApp to work with other, smaller platforms
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The EU’s newly agreed-upon Digital Markets Act could require messaging app developers to make their apps work together if it ends up coming into force in October as expected. In the EU’s press release, it says that lawmakers agreed that the “gatekeeper” companies behind WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, or iMessage would have to make their apps “interoperable” with smaller messaging platforms at the developers’ request.
Here’s the relevant part of the EU’s statement:
During a close to 8-hour long trilogue (three-way talks between Parliament, Council and Commission), EU lawmakers agreed that the largest messaging services (such as Whatsapp, Facebook Messenger or iMessage) will have to open up and interoperate with smaller messaging platforms, if they so request. Users of small or big platforms would then be able to exchange messages, send files or make video calls across messaging apps, thus giving them more choice. As regards interoperability obligation for social networks, co-legislators agreed that such interoperability provisions will be assessed in the future.
While the law isn’t passed yet, the EU’s language could compel companies like Apple and Meta to open up systems that they formerly controlled completely. For example: you can only send iMessages using Apple’s iMessage app, which only runs on its devices. It sounds like the EU wants to force Apple into letting other messaging apps interface with iMessage — meaning you could have a conversation between an iMessage user on an iPhone, and a Telegram user on a Windows PC.
From The Verge
